Letters to the editor: Obama not qualified for the job

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Columnist Mark Shields is a very clever writer and a very clever Democrat. He knows what talking points will appeal to the common man and what facts to avoid in making his argument. In his Sept. 22 column, “Those who know Romney best prefer Obama,” he makes a case for the positive power of President Obama’s personality. The president deserves an “A” for being attractive, affable, approachable and amiable. Surely, these characteristics are what we look for when choosing a good neighbor, a pleasant dinner companion or, as reinforced by his award-winning beer recipe, a preferred drinking buddy. However, do they qualify him to be the president of the most powerful nation in the world? Is Obama good at foreign relations? Is he a good economist, an effective leader, a proven conciliator? Is he a successful job creator and can he resolve the major problems dividing this country? The answer to all questions, based upon his record as a politician and as a president, is a resounding “no.” His response to his failures in these areas has been to blame others -- President Bush, Congress, the Republicans -- and to insist that the American people give him more time. Shields describes Mitt Romney as “smart, successful and exceptionally well-educated.” These are characteristics that we should be looking for when we are choosing a leader.

JOHN G. KANGELARIS Sterling Heights

Clean up eyesore firstThe State of Michigan and the Canadian government have been trying to get a deal to build a new bridge between Michigan and Ontario. The main deterrent to this deal has been Manuel Moroun, the owner of the Ambassador Bridge, because he has his own plans to build a new bridge. The money he is spending on slick TV ads against the governor’s planned bridge, paying off politicians and the state Supreme Court would be better spent on upkeep to the Ambassador Bridge before it turns into another Moroun eyesore like the Michigan Train Depot. This huge area of land has sat vacant for years, becoming one of the worst eyesores in Detroit. Moroun should let the state of Michigan and the Canadian government build the bridge, at no cost to Michigan taxpayers. He should worry about the Ambassador Bridge first.